Crimes & Penalties by State

Have a question on how your state defines and punishes a particular crime? This is the place to start.

Every state has a unique set of laws (statutes) and court opinions, which together make up that state's criminal law. Even crimes as common as burglary can vary in the details from state to state. If you're interested in knowing how your state defines and punishes a particular crime, you need to either read the statutes and court cases or -- far better -- read an article that has done the work for you.

Below you'll see links to each of the 50 states (and the District of Columbia, too). On each state's page, we've posted articles on common crimes. We're constantly adding articles, so if you don't see a crime covered on your state's page, please bear with us.

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The path of a criminal case through the courts is complicated. The way cases are handled varies from state to state and county to county. If you've been charged with a crime, you'll want to talk to a lawyer familiar with your area and courts.